Water ski rack device



Nov. 3, 1964 w. R. BENNETT 3,

WATER SKI RACK DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1962 3. D (L i 1 f )1,

INVENTOR Wmwae A. BEAM/Err ATTO/P/VE'KS United States Patent 3,155,238WATER SKI RACK DEVICE Wallace R. Bennett, R0. Box 664, Steilacoom, Wash.Filed Sept. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 225,178 Claims. (Cl. 211-60) Thisinvention relates to supports, and more particularly to rack devices forcarrying water skis on boats or on other vehicles or objects havingsmooth surfaces.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedsupport device for carrying water skis on boats or other vehicles orobjects having smooth surfaces, the ski carrying device being relativelysimple in construction, being easy to attach, and being usable either onsub stantially horizontal supporting surfaces or on vertical or inclinedsupporting surfaces.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved Waterski-carrying support device which is inexpensive to manufacture, whichis durable in construction, which is compact in size, and which isadapted to be mounted on a boat or other vehicle or object having asmooth supporting surface, the ski-carrying support device beingprovided with means for preventing scratching or marring of the surfacesof the skis engaged therewith.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

1 FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the rear portion of a small boat onwhich are mounted a pair of ski-carrying rack devices according to thepresent invention, the rack devices being mounted on opposite portionsof the boat and being shown engaged with a ski to illustrate the mannerin which water skis are supported in the rack devices- FIGURE 2 is alongitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken through one of the rackdevices of FIGURE 1, a portion of the protective covering of the rackdevice being broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the rack device of FIGURE 2 with theprotective covering omitted.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a typical small boat providedwith the passenger compartment 12 and having relatively smooth decksurfaces 13, 13 on opposite sides of the passenger compartment Mountedon the surfaces 13, 13 are the respective r-ack devices, designatedgenerally at 14, 14, said rack devices being constructed in accordancewith the present invention. As will be apparent from FIGURE '1, the rackdevices 14, 14 are identical in construction and are located directlyopposite each other and substantially parallel to each other, the rackdevices being formed with convolutions, presently to be described,defining U-shaped loops adapted to receive water skis 15 in the mannerclearly illustrated in FIG- URE 1.

Each rack device 14 comprises a single piece of rodlike relatively rigidmaterial, such as metal rod material,

formed to define a series of evenly spaced generally U- shapedconvolutions or loops, the loops being directed upwardly in FIGURE 2 andbeing designated respectively at 16. A plurality of loops are formed inthe rod-like member, all of the loops being in the same plane. Therod-like member terminates in the par-allel end portions 17, 17, saidend portions being externally threaded, as shown at 18. Threadedlyengaged on the parallel end portions 17, 17 and being thus securedthereto are respec tive downwardly facing suction cups 19, 19, saidsuction cups being provided with the internally threaded upstandingfastening collars 20 which are threadedly engaged on the externallythreaded end portions 18 of the rod ends 17.

The coplanar U-shaped loops 16 are integrally connected at the top endsof their arms by the arcuate joining rod portions 2 1, all the loops,joining rod portions and end portions of the device being in the sameplane. As will be apparent from FIGURE 2, the loops 16 havesubstantially parallel side arms and are inclined upwardly in the samedirection at a substantial angle to the directions of the parallel endmembers 17, 17. The inclination of the loops 16 enables the rack deviceto be used, in conjunction with the parallel opposite similar rackdevice, on a substantially vertical supporting surface, as well as on ahorizontal or a pair of spaced horizontal supporting surfaces.

The convoluted rod-like member containing the loops 16 and otherelements above described is provided for substantially its entire lengthwith a cover sleeve 22 of relat-ively yieldable soft material, such asbraided polyethylene strands, of any desirable color, or of any otherdesirable soft yieldable, relatively durable material.

A pair of rack devices 14 are employed, for example, in the mannerillustrated in FIGURE 1, for supporting a plurality of water skis 15.Thus, the rack devices 14 may be disposed on opposing portions of a boat11, for example, on the relatively smooth spaced opposite surfaces 13,as illustrated, the suction cups 19 of the rack devices being engagedwith the surfaces 13 and being held thereon by suction. The rack devicesare arranged so that they are substantially parallel to each other andsubstantially transversely aligned, whereby the skis 15 may be receivedin pairs of transversely aligned loops 16 in the manner illustrated. Thedeformable yieldable cover sleeve 22 prevents scratching or marring ofthe surfaces of the portions of the skis received in the loops.

As above mentioned, the rack devices 14 may be employed on substantiallyvertical surfaces, as well as on substantially horizontal surfaces,since the inclination of the loops 16 serves to retain the skis in therack devices when said rack devices are employed on the aforesaidvertical surfaces.

While a specific embodiment of an improved ski-carrying rack has beendisclosed in the foregoing description, it Will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski-carrying support comprising a single piece of rod-likerelatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spacedrigid generally U-shaped coplanar loops connected by integral arcuatejoining rod portions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sidesof adjacent loops, said pieces of material having substantially parallelends coplanar with the loops, and respective suction cups axiallysecured to said ends and adapted to engage a supporting surface [fordetachably securing the support to the supporting surface in upstandingrelation thereto.

2. A ski-carrying support comprising a single piece of rod-likerelatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spacedrig-id generally U-shaped loops connected by integral arcuate joiningrod portions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sides ofadjacent loops, a cover sleeve of relatively yieldable materialsurrounding said piece of rod-like material for substantially its entirelength, said piece of rod-like material having substantially parallelend-s coplanar with the loops, and respective suction cups axiallysecured to said ends and adapted to engage a supporting surface fordetachably securing the support to the supporting surface in upstandingrelation thereto.

3. A ski-carrying support comprising a single piece of rod-likerelatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spacedrigid generally U-shaped coplanar loops connected by integral arcuatejoining rod portions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sidesof adjacent loops, a cover sleeve of relatively yieldable materialsurrounding said piece of rod-like material for substantially its entirelength, said piece of rod-like material having substantially parallelends coplanar with the loops, said loops having substantially parallelside arms which are inclined in the same direction at a substantialangle to the direction of said ends, and respective suction cups axiallysecured to said ends and adapted to engage a supporting surface fordetachably securing the support to the supporting surface in upstandingrelation thereto.

4. A ski-carrying support comprising a single piece of rod-likerelatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spacedgenerally U-shaped rigid coplanar loops connected by integral arcuatejoining rod portions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sidesofadjacent loops, a cover sleeve of relatively yieldable materialsurrounding said piece of rod-like material for substantially its entirelength, said piece of rod-like material having substantially parallelends coplanar with the loops, said loops having substantially parallelside arms which are inclined in the same direction at a substantialangle to the direction of said ends, and respective suction cups axiallyand threadedly secured to said ends, the support beingadapted to bemounted in upstandingposition on a boat opposite and parallel to asimilar support, whereby skis may be supportingly engaged in theU-shaped loops of the pair of supports.

5. In combination with a supporting surface, a pairof ski-carryingsupports, each support comprising a single piece of rod-like relativelyrigid material formed to define a series of evenly spaced rigidgenerally U-shaped coplanar loops connected by integral arcuate joiningrodportions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sides ofadjacent loops, a cover sleeve of relatively yieldable materialsurrounding said piece of rod-like material for substan tially itsentirelength, said piece of rod-like material having substantiallyparallel ends coplanar with the loops, said loops having substantiallyparallel side arms which are inclined in the same direction at asubstantial angle to the direct-ion of said ends, and respective suctioncups axially and threadedly secured to said ends, the support beingadapted to be mounted in an upstanding position on the supportingsurface opposite and parallel to a similar support, whereby skis may besupportingly engaged in the U-shaped loopsof the pair of supports.

References Cited: in the, file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.149,919 Ullmann June 8, 1948 254,692 Rath Mar. 7, 1882 570,465 Dilley etal. Nov. 3, 1896 598,507 Graham Feb. 8, 1898 1,157,578 Petre Oct. 19,1915 1,222,728 Brown Apr. 17, 1917 1,315,823 Dugan Sept. 9, 19191,715,602 Jones June 4, 1929 1,746,577 Bergl-und Feb. 11, 1930 2,138,914Frey Dec. 6, 1938 2,173,953 Schwisow Sept. 26, 1939 2,302,300 DaviesNov. 17, 1942 2,315,566 Watral et al. Apr. 6, 1943 2,397,291 RobertsonMar. 26, 1946 2,643,840 Lanman June 30, 1953 2,721,680 Steclcman Oct.25, 1955 2,897,669 Villiers et -al Aug. 4, 1959 2,956,812 Lundquist Oct.18, 1960

1. A SKI-CARRYING SUPPORT COMPRISING A SINGLE PIECE OF ROD-LIKERELATIVELY RIGID MATERIAL FORMED TO DEFINE A SERIES OF EVENLY SPACEDRIGID GENERALLY U-SHAPED COPLANAR LOOPS CONNECTED BY INTEGRAL ARCUATEJOINING ROD PORTIONS WITH THE SIDES OF THE LOOPS SPACED FROM THE SIDESOF ADJACENT LOOPS, SAID PIECES OF MATERIAL HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELENDS COPLANAR WITH THE LOOPS, AND RESPECTIVE SUCTION CUPS AXIALLYSECURED TO SAID ENDS AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A SUPPORTING SURFACE FORDETACHABLY SECURING THE SUPPORT TO THE SUPPORTING SURFACE IN UPSTANDINGRELATION THERETO.